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Top 10 Cars for 2014: PM Auto Excellence Awards

U.S. auto sales are booming, and the market is brimming with great carsevery segment is full of choices with modern styling and sporty driving dynamics. Its been an exciting year for car enthusiasts, but it also makes deciding on just 10 winne

U.S. auto sales are booming, and the market is brimming with great cars—every segment is full of choices with modern styling and sporty driving dynamics. It's been an exciting year for car enthusiasts, but it also makes deciding on just 10 winners harder than ever. Our picks range widely in price, size, and utility, but, collectively, they also represent the very best of an industry filled with new life.

Gluekit

1 of 10

Car of the Year

2014 Mazda6

Price: $21,675

Everybody loves an underdog story. Consider the fact that tiny, independent Mazda, now disassociated from Ford, built the 6 on an all-new architecture exclusive to the Japanese carmaker. The only cars that bear any structural similarity are Mazda's own 3 and CX-5. Under the hood is the same story: a 184-hp engine made by Mazda, for Mazda, that delivers up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway. This, from a company about one-eighth the size of General Motors. And the Mazda6 drives like a sports car. No other family sedan is as responsive, yet the ride is still sufficiently supple. The cabin design is simple, but we appreciate the straightforward functionality. This is not to say the Mazda lacks comfort; there's plenty of space for two adults and a child seat in the rear. And just try to find an interior surface that's not padded. If you want the latest technology features, they're all available: adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and forward-collision warning. There's even an optional supercapacitor system that helps the alternator run less often, boosting mileage. Of course, it also helps that the Mazda6 is wrapped in sheet metal with curves that would make a Maserati jealous. But the 6 didn't earn our highest award because we're pulling for the little guy. It won because Mazda engineers set out to make a truly great car and succeeded.

Gluekit

2 of 10

Performance

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Price: $51,995

Truth be told, the Corvette Stingray could have won our award for value. It might sound funny, but this is basically a half-price supercar. Even with all the speed options the price is less than $61,000, and, thus equipped, the Stingray will hang corner for corner with the best sports cars in the world—and even manage to leave a few behind. But performance, of course, is a much more logical accolade for the new Vette. Going fast dominates every aspect of the car's design. The interior, for example, has buttons for the important controls and GM's brightest digital-instrument-cluster display—both are features that facilitate speed. And all those scoops and vents on the outside are functional, letting the car breathe and reducing drag at the same time. But if looking at the Stingray made our jaws drop, driving it left us utterly speechless. It's not just the figures the Corvette can achieve in acceleration, braking, or lateral grip, it's the way this car feels fun at every mph. Zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds is certainly impressive, but making a car that's also responsive, predictable, and accessible to every driver, from novice to pro, is something special. This might be the world's best sports car.

Cornering Made Easy Much of our amazement with the Stingray comes from the optional electronic limited-slip rear differential. A computer-controlled clutch pack constantly adjusts the amount of locking between the rear wheels—open for better handling in tight spaces, closed for more stability in long, fast corners. It works so well that we're wondering if GM's engineers moonlight as magicians.

Gluekit

3 of 10

Value

2014 Nissan Versa Note

Price: $14,780

The last Nissan Versa hatchback was certainly more homely than it was hip. No more. Now known as the Versa Note, this little five-door not only is the coolest of all the Versas but is also one of the slickest designs in the Nissan showroom—at any price. But unlike a hot-blooded GT-R or 370Z, the Versa's youthful sheet metal hides sensible utility. The exterior dimensions of the Note might suggest economy class, but inside it's strictly business. Slide into the rear seat and there's as much airspace between your knees and the front seatback as in a Chevrolet Impala. Go ahead, cross your legs and enjoy the road trip. And all this stylish, comfy living comes incredibly cheap. Okay, this is still an entry-level car. So you might want to splurge on a few options, such as the CVT instead of the five-speed manual transmission. This brings a significant 4-mpg boost to 40-mpg highway, which puts the Note at the top of the subcompact class in fuel economy. That means even more savings after you drive the Note off the dealership lot.

Gluekit

4 of 10

Hauling

2014 Ram Heavy Duty

Price: $30,695–$44,240

Modern heavy-duty pickup trucks can handle the most herculean tasks, but the tradeoff for this kind of extreme capability has always been a suspension so stiff the vehicle bucks and hops over a rough road like a bronco out of the gate. The 2014 Ram Heavy Duty breaks new ground in ¾-ton trim by ditching the old-time leaf springs in the rear for a sophisticated five-link coil-sprung suspension. This new Ram rides better than any heavy-duty before it, soaking up large bumps and chuckholes. But don't think the Ram HD has gone soft. There's an available 420-hp 6.4-liter V-8 that's new this year, as well as the option of dual alternators to handle the more extreme auxiliary electrical needs of a real workhorse. The 3500 series trucks still use the leaf packs in back, but each side also has an air spring to improve the ride. And when you pair the mighty Cummins turbodiesel with its 850 lb-ft of torque to this truck, it can lug a 30,000-pound trailer. Not only is that the most for any current pickup truck, it's also a figure that requires the driver to earn a commercial driver's license. Now that's serious.

Gluekit

5 of 10

Technical Innovation

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Price: $93,825

Where to begin with the 2014 S-Class? Mercedes-Benz has more names for all its safety and driver-assistance systems than we have space to print, but just know that the S-Class's robust network of radars, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors makes it the most sophisticated—and arguably the safest—car on the road. (We're talking self-steering, self-braking, self-parking, the robots-are-coming-for-us kind of sophistication.) And new features such as the S-Class's Magic Body Control, which uses a stereo camera to read bumps in the road and preadjusts the suspension to absorb them, are another reminder that software is just as important as spring rate in a modern automobile. The 2014 S-Class is also the first car to forgo using a single bulb for any lighting, instead relying on 486 LEDs inside and out. Fifty-six of these can be found in each of the S-Class's headlights, which automatically adjust the beams' brightness and shape. The rest can be found in the rear lamps and hidden throughout the cabin, where, via a selector knob in the center console, the driver can control the giant 12.3-inch LCD center screen to change the color of the ambient lighting (we prefer Twilight Purple). Another IMAX-size LCD screen stretches behind the steering wheel to act as the instrument cluster and information hub. This is also where you'll see the night-vision display, which alerts the driver when the car detects pedestrians or animals. If all of this technology sounds excessive, it's not. In fact, it's the future. Mercedes just happens to be ahead of the curve.

How the S-Class Sees It

1. Magic Body Control By using a stereo camera to scan the road surface, the S-Class can prep the suspension to almost completely eliminate body movements at speeds up to 81 mph.

2. Pedestrian Recognition Using a mixture of radars and its stereo camera, the S-Class can now detect vehicles and pedestrians and either aid in stopping if the driver does not brake hard enough or autonomously brake if the driver isn't paying attention.

3. Steering Assist At speeds up to 124 mph, the S-Class uses the stereo camera to read road lines and keep the car centered in the lane via the electrically assisted steering.

Gluekit

6 of 10

Luxury

2014 Lexus IS

Price: $36,860–$42,610

Every Lexus parked on the showroom floor is stuffed with the comfort, craftsmanship, and refinement that have made the brand famous. The new IS overflows with these hallmark qualities, but what's new here is that Lexus has infused the chassis with the spirit of a hard-edged sport sedan. In a class once dominated by Germans, Lexus not only has matched these legends in performance—it has actually nosed ahead of them. The Lexus IS is tremendously talented. Opt for the F Sport package, available in the 204-hp IS 250 or the 306-hp IS 350, and the thrills on a snaky road multiply exponentially. And yet its BMW-conquering backroad competence is only one area where the IS shines. Lexus has managed to innovate on the inside too. On F Sport models, the carmaker uses a new method to inject foam into the faux-leather shell, making the supportive high-performance seats remarkably soft. Perhaps best of all, the IS starts below $37,000. So the most accomplished sedan in the class is also a great deal.

Gluekit

7 of 10

Design

2014 Jaguar F-Type

Price: $69,895—$92,895

The Jaguar F-Type demands attention. Slinking through the streets of Monterey, Calif., the week before the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, we watched as neck after neck snapped to admire our rakish V8 S. The F-Type's epic exhaust note was surely partially to blame, but even when we parked, people swarmed the car to ask questions and sneak peeks at the roadster's equally handsome interior. And when we pulled up to The Quail, a swanky car show, the parking attendant promptly directed us to a prominent grassy knoll along the main road. Our company? Three Ferraris. So, yeah, people like the F-Type. And it's easy to see why, with its aggressive stance and a front end that looks built to devour pavement. But for Jaguar director of design Ian Callum, the F-Type presented a daunting task: create the British company's first roadster since the venerable E-Type. No slave to history, Callum successfully paid homage to Jag's past while advancing its current styling. The rear, Callum's favorite part of the car, is especially arresting, with its huge haunches and distinctive wraparound taillights. What we love most about the F-Type, though, is how all its elements come together. Great design is cohesive, and there's nary a contrary line on this car. That's why people gawk, that's why they crowd around, and that's why you get to park on the hill.

Gluekit

8 of 10

Versatility

2014 Jeep Cherokee

Price: $23,990– $28,990

The Jeep brand defines versatility. And the Cherokee has always blended off-road capability, on-road performance, and family utility better than any other Jeep. It's fitting, then, that the reborn Cherokee is perhaps the most diversely equipped to carry the legendary name. At one end of the spectrum there's a front-drive four-cylinder model that delivers carlike handling, 31 mpg on the highway thanks to its nine-speed automatic, and room to pack nearly 55 cubic feet of gear behind the front seats. Best of all, the front passenger seat folds flat, so that 6-foot bookcase from the furniture store can fit inside. At the dirtier end of the option sheet is the mighty Trailhawk model, which has the bones of a real off-roader. Because the Cherokee is based on a front-drive crossover platform, the two-speed 4WD system uses an innovative gear-reduction system at each axle, instead of a traditional central transfer case. And to provide truly outstanding off-road performance, there's an electronically locking rear differential that gives the Trailhawk the talent to master the Rubicon. Back on the pavement, if there's a trailer that needs to be moved, the V-6 Cherokee with its 271 hp and 239 lb-ft of torque can handle 4500 pounds of weekend toy. The new Cherokee's functionality carries over to its interior, where the cargo hold features a smart hook-and-rack system to handle Jeep-brand accessories such as a soft-sided cooler or a collapsible dog cage. There's even a tray for your grocery bags. The new Cherokee is clever, fuel-efficient, and incredibly versatile. In other words, it's a true Jeep.

Gluekit

9 of 10

Handling

2014 Ford Fiesta ST

Price: $22,195

The Ford Fiesta ST follows a classic recipe for fun-to-drive: Take an existing small car, then add a hotter engine and a sportier suspension. Ford's own Focus ST is a great example, as is the segment-defining Volkswagen GTI. But those cars and others like them have slowly inflated in both dimension and price. The Fiesta ST takes the compact performance back to its roots—an affordable small car that's just fast enough to keep life interesting. Like the great hot hatches before it, the Fiesta never fails to put a smile on our face. The fun starts with the fat, leather-wrapped steering wheel that makes the car respond so quickly it's almost twitchy. But the ST's handling is smooth, and it's easy to transition from braking, to cornering, and then on to the gas to feel the surge of the 197-hp 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine. From the Fiesta ST's bolstered driver's seat, every road looks like a racetrack, even if it's just an open on-ramp.

Gluekit

10 of 10

Efficiency

2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel

Price: $25,695

General Motors' first new diesel car in more than two decades, the Cruze is the most efficient nonhybrid on the market (27 city/46 highway) and the only diesel sedan offered stateside by the Big Three. That's a big deal. To meet U.S. emissions standards, GM modified its European turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel I-4 mill, which produces 151 hp and a stout 280 lb-ft of torque. And to mute any excessive engine noise, the General reappropriated the Buick Verano's sound-deadening setup. The Cruze diesel does cost $2390 more than an equivalently equipped gas Cruze, but as with an EV or hybrid, you'll eventually make up the cost difference. Chevy also sweetens the pot with a free two-year service plan for diesel-fluid replacement, oil changes, and tire rotations. All together, this makes the diesel not only the best model in the Cruze lineup—but the best diesel deal this side of the Atlantic.

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